Archive for the ‘Branding’ Category

The Six Rules of Outstanding Content for Social Media

In today’s digital-focused world its hard to find someone who isn’t on social media – whether it be your grandfather using Facebook to check in on the grandkids or your teenage niece posting every chance she gets. As of 2017, 81% of the population had at least one social media profile, so leveraging these channels is a must for every business’ marketing plan.
Social media is a fast communications channel that may be overwhelming to marketers trying to grab attention. Gary Vaynerchuck, author of the book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How To Tell Your Story In a Noisy Social World, argue...Read More

There can be no doubt that Matthew Luhn is a master of visual storytelling. At only 19, he became the youngest animator to join The Simpsons while in its third season. Luhn later joined Pixar Animation Studios and collaborated on the most commercially successful and well loved movies of our time: Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Ratatouille, Up, Cars, Toy Story II and Toy Story III.
From Hollywood to the boardroom, Luhn now advises Fortune 500 companies on how to successfully narrate their brand and connect to an audience through visual storytelling. On September 13th, the Chamber of...Read More

Who Would Play Your Brand on the Big Screen?

If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone talking about marketing personas, I’d have enough liquid cash to bankroll my very own low-budget indie film. Those lovable avatars that represent our target audiences are discussed on a daily basis from the classroom to the boardroom, and rightly so. Well-defined personas are critical to every marketing strategy. But have you ever noticed that marketers rarely, if ever, talk about the most important persona of all?

Sure, we have Becky the soccer mom, carting her three kids to and fro with hardly a minute to spare. There’s also F...Read More

Experiential Marketing: The Secret to Building Brand Loyalty

In today’s buyer-empowered marketplace, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to establish brand loyalty and effectively reach their target demographics. Audiences have become deafened to companies’ self-promotion, and standard marketing practices are falling short. In recent years, integrated marketing strategies have replaced more singular efforts. However, campaigns are oftentimes still missing a valuable component that is proven to broaden campaign reach and build brand loyalty: Experiential marketing.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” If that’s true, then one minute of video could easily be worth 1+ million words.
The power of video in communication is more prevalent than ever, as we are constantly surrounded by it: television, YouTube, Vine, Instagram, etc. Yet, in a recent survey conducted by PR Newswire and PR News, 76 percent of respondents believe video is underutilized in messaging platforms and in PR content. More than half of respondents also stated less than 5 percent of their overall external communication is delivered...Read More

How Can Pinterest Benefit Your Business?

Pegged by some as a passing fad in the realm of social media, Pinterest continues to prove skeptics wrong. This online “pinboard” website is no longer just a place for women to drool over designer wedding dresses and impractical DIY projects. With the amount of consumer traffic Pinterest gets every day, businesses are beginning to recognize the benefits this social media site could have for them as a free marketing tool. Pinterest has even recognized this trend and has created Pinterest for Business accounts to make it even easier. Below are a few ways your business can start using Pinte...Read More

The Brand Experience

I visited Napa recently for nearly a week of eating, drinking and touring. For years, I have wanted to go, so when we finally scheduled the trip, with an incredible itinerary, our expectations were high. The “Napa experience” is legendary, and we were not disappointed. The trip was everything I hoped for – great weather, food that tasted like it came from the garden just hours earlier, friendly people and wines that made me wish I could give it all up and cultivate vines for a living. The trip was all that I expected … except for The French Laundry.

A Review of The Brand Gap by Marty Neumier

So, what is the Brand Gap?
Unfortunately the left brain (analytical, logical, linear, concrete) doesn't always know what the right brain (intuitive, emotional, spatial, visual) is doing.
Whenever there's a rift between strategy and creativity - between logic and magic - there's a brand gap.
It can cause a brilliant strategy to fail where it counts most, at the point of contact with the customer; or, it can doom a bold creative initiative before it's even launched, as early as the planning stage.
A brand is not what YOU say it is. It's what THEY say it is.
A brand is a person’...Read More

I Love Entrepreneurs

Last night I had the pleasure of presenting to a group of entrepreneurs at theCorzo Center at the University of the Arts. The topic was “Moving Your Ideas Forward,” where I talked about brand building and what that means to brand success. Connect to presentation here.

What I liked best about the night was the excitement that young entrepreneurs have for their companies. Everything is shiny and new, and the journey is just beginning. I have always loved this time in the lifecycle of a company. It’s all about potential and opportunity. This is where branding begins...Read More

Brand Simple: The Brand Asset Valuator (Part 2)

In Part 1 of my review of Brand Simple, I focused on brand-related definitions and an explanation of Allen Adamson’s 5 steps to helping your brand succeed.

Another key takeaway from the book is Adamson’s explanation of the Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) – an incredibly powerful proprietary diagnostic tool for understanding how a given brand is performing relative to all other brands in the market.

To begin the analysis you must score the brands for:

Differentiation: How different is the brand from others in its category?
Relevance: How relevant is...Read More